1826, OCTOBER. TOWARDS THE UMPQUA RIVER 221 



shoulder-blade, 12 ; shoulder- joint to the knee, 11 ; from the knee to the 

 hoof, 11 ; girth of the shoulder -joint, 8 ; at the knee, 5. Hind leg 

 rump, 18, including the thigh ; from the knee to the hoof, 13| ; knee, 

 round, 8; tail in length, 12. Body, head, neck, and legs of a uniform 

 light grey ; belly, inside of the thighs, and underside of tail, pure white ; 

 lips and tips of the ears, of a darker tinge. In the summer season, after 

 the period of having their young in April and May, they change colour to 

 a light reddish-brown, not unlike the European stag. Three years old, 

 weighing from 90 to 100 Ib. without the gut. The buck being gutted, I 

 could not with correctness take it. The proportions seem to agree and 

 differ no way in colour ; they are generally 30 or 40 Ib. heavier. The horns 

 are much curved, four, five, six, and the largest, seven pronged ; the present 

 is of the middle size and is four. Extreme length, 16 inches ; root prong, 

 2| long ; middle, 7 ; point, 3J. The distance between the point of each 

 will show the curve. Between the roots, If ; between the points of the 

 root prong, 5 ; between the middle, 17 ; point prong, 16 ; extreme point, 9. 

 Being the only thing in my power to keep, I tied it to my knapsack, 

 and perhaps I may yet obtain good specimens of the animal entire. After 

 resting a short time, Mackay made us some fine steaks, and roasted a 

 shoulder of the doe for breakfast, with an infusion of Mentha borealis l 

 sweetened with a small portion of sugar. The meal laid on the clean 

 mossy foliage of Gauliheria Shallon in lieu of a plate and our tea in a large 

 wooden dish hewn out of the solid, and supping it with spoons made from 

 the horns of the mountain sheep or Mouton Gris of the voyageurs. A 

 stranger can hardly imagine the hospitality and kindness shown among these 

 people. If they have a hut, or failing that, if the day is wet, one of brush- 

 wood is made for you, and whatever they have in the way of food you are 

 unceremoniously and seemingly with much good- will invited to partake. 

 After smoking with a few straggling Indians belonging to the Umpqua 

 tribe, we resumed our route on the banks of the small stream ; track 

 mountainous and rugged, thickly covered with wood in many places ; and 

 in some parts, where Acer circinnatum forms the under-wood, a small 

 hatchet or large knife like a hedge-bill is indispensably necessary. Camped 

 at three o'clock five miles further down the stream, having gained this 

 day eleven miles. Mackay's hunter returned this evening from the 

 Umpqua River, but in consequence of some misunderstanding he only 

 brought a few seeds baked on the embers of the pine. As there are in the 

 party two individuals of that nation who both talk the Chenook tongue 

 fluently, in which I make myself well understood, from the questions I have 

 put to them and the answers given, I am almost certain of finding it in 

 abundance. Should I fail, I shall make my way through that very partially 

 known country called ' Clamite,' to the north-east of where I now am, 

 where I will find it without any doubt according to Mr. McDonald, who 

 passed there in September 1825, and this person being present when it 

 came first under my notice, I requested he would look for it in the Cascade 

 range of mountains or through that mountainous country between Mount 

 Hood and another high snowy mountain to the south of it, which I have 

 1 Mentha canadensis var. glabrata, A. Gray, Syn. .Fl. N. Am. ii. I. p. 352. 



